The last full-length album from the ambient/shoegaze duo Billow Observatory(Jonas Munk and Jason Kolb) was 2022’s excellent Stareside, which was a culmination of what these two musicians had been working towards since their self-titled debut in 2012. Munk coming from Denmark and with plenty of work under his belt as guitarist for Causa Sui; not to mention work with Ulrich Schnauss, Nicklas Sørensen, and a prolific set of solo releases. Jason Kolb, who hails from Michigan, has made quite a career with the band Auburn Lull over the course of nearly 30 years.
In January Munk and Kolb released the EP Soliton, and now we have the brand new track “Systol Nightshade”, the first track off the brand new Billow Observatory which is arriving sometime in 2025.
If you’re not familiar, Billow Observatory makes music that feels like slow moving clouds over an endless horizon. Touches of ambient, new age, and shoegaze emanate via heavily processed guitars and electronics, taking those raw ingredients and layering them in effects and giving the proceedings an ethereal, almost cosmic vibe.
“Systol Nightshade” goes back to the band’s beginnings; a sparse, pared down sound with subtle melodic touches. The band’s music has always been on the cinematic side. Listening to the Billow Observatory’s self-titled debut – as well as II: Plains/Patterns, III: Chroma/Contour, and Stareside – you feel an emotional pull under the hazy electronics and under the surface melodies. A grand but wistful sound that creates scenes in one’s mind. A widescreen sound built for thoughtful emotional interrogations.
This music is perfect for the cold, winter months. “Systol Nightshade” is the sound of quiet contemplation on a bitter cold winter night, looking to the sky as thousands of pinhole lights scream back in silence as your breath turns to fog.
Listen to “Systol Nightshade” below, and follow Billow Observatory on their Bandcamp page to keep up with the new album progress.
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